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CHINA WATCHIn Case We Forgot, Typhoon Attacks Remind Us of China’s Cyber Capability—and Intent
The Salt Typhoon incident reminds us that China has the intent, and increasingly the capability, to seriously challenge US and Western technology advantage.
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NUCLEAR POWERResearch Drives Innovation in Gen-IV Reactor Safety and Efficiency
All U.S. nuclear reactors, which currently provide more than half of the nation’s carbon-free power, are first- or second-generation light water reactors. This means they use water as both a coolant and neutron moderator to control the nuclear reaction and produce useful electricity. Ut researchers pursue all kinds of reactor designs, and nuclear engineers at Argonne frame the future of nuclear design.
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NUCLEAR WASTEU.S. Supreme Court Takes Up Texas Nuclear Waste Disposal Case
The case could establish the nation’s first independent repository for spent nuclear fuel in West Texas, despite the objections of state leaders.
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WATER SECURITYQuestions and Confusion as Trump Pauses Key Funding for Shrinking Colorado River
An executive order issued in the early days of the Trump administration hit pause on at least $4 billion set aside to protect the flow of the Colorado River. Halted funding threatens the sustainability of the entire system, experts say.
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WATER SECURITYTrump Says He’s Sending Water to LA. It’s Actually Going to Megafarms.
The president’s executive orders on California water will help irrigate Central Valley farms. They won’t do anything to fight wildfires.
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CLIMATE CHALLANGESNew Lab Studies How Cities Can Survive Extreme Climates
“The city is a dynamic creature; it’s changing all the time,” says architect Merav Idit Battat. “I think we shouldn’t focus on how to think of everything from the beginning, but how to create a more adaptive city over time.”
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NUCLEAR ENERGYExploring the New Nuclear Energy Landscape
In the last few years, the U.S. has seen a resurgence of interest in nuclear energy and its potential for helping meet the nation’s growing demands for clean electricity and energy security. Meanwhile, nuclear energy technologies themselves have advanced, opening up new possibilities for their use.
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RESILIENCEPower Boost: Resilient Systems to Energize the Future
Life without electricity is not just cold, dark and quiet. Disruptions to the electric grid, whether from hurricanes, wildfires or cyberattacks, can threaten lives as well as comfort.
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WATER SECURITY Water Is the Other U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis, and the Supply Crunch Is Getting Worse
The United States and Mexico are aware of the political and economic importance of the border region. But if water scarcity worsens, it could supplant other border priorities. The two countries should recognize that conditions are deteriorating and update the existing cross-border governance regime so that it reflects today’s new water realities.
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NUCLEAR POWERA Michigan Nuclear Plant Is Slated to Restart, but Trump Could Complicate Things
The owners of a shuttered nuclear plant on the shores of Lake Michigan are still banking on its historic reopening later this year, despite the confusion of President Donald Trump’s first days.
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WILDFIRES5 Israeli Innovations for Fighting Wildfires
As regions from California to the Mediterranean face wildfire threats, these innovations can help win the battle against out-of-control flames.
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ENERGY SECURITYCalifornia Just Debunked a Big Myth About Renewable Energy
One of the biggest myths about renewable energy is that it isn’t reliable. clifornia went a record 98 of 116 days providing up to 10 hours of electricity with renewables alone.
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ENERGY SECURITYFirst-Ever Map of Potential for Geologic Hydrogen in U.S.
The U.S. Geological Survey today published the first map of the prospective locations of naturally-occurring geologic hydrogen resources in the contiguous United States, reflecting a systematic analysis of geologic conditions favorable for hydrogen that draws on a newly developed methodology.
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WILDFIRESThe L.A. Fires Show a Need to Rethink Our Wildland Firefighting Systems
As bad as the fires in the Los Angeles area have been—more than 12,000 structures burned, about 180,000 people evacuated, more than 35,000 acres scorched, and at least 25 deaths—they could have been even worse, but in some ways Angelenos got lucky. Asystem built on luck, however, is not a durable system. It is already strained, and it risks breaking down in a world of greater and more frequent wildfires.
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ENERGYSECURITYFloating Solar Panels Could Support US Energy Goals
New study shows federally controlled reservoirs could host enough energy to power approximately 100 million U.S. homes a year.
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The long view
WATER SECURITYCalls Grow for Sustainable Governance as Groundwater Resources Become Scarce
The depletion of groundwater resources, driven by unsustainable agricultural practices and increasing demands for food production, is a pressing issue, and it underscores the urgent need for sustainable groundwater governance.
WATER SECURITYTwo-Way Water Transfers Can Ensure Reliability, Save Money for Urban and Agricultural Users During Drought in Western U.S.
Researchers offer a solution — two-way leasing contracts — to water scarcity during droughts amid the tug of economic development, population growth and climate uncertainty for water users in Western U.S. states.